Agricultural Production Statistics: June 2007 (Final)

This release contains final results from the 2007 Agricultural Production Census. The census covered livestock and arable farming, horticulture and forestry, and included questions on farming practices.

The 2007 Census was part of the current programme of censuses and surveys of agricultural production. This programme began with a census in 2002 and then annual sample surveys were carried out from 2003 to 2006. Before the current programme, the last census was held in 1994.

Estimates from sample surveys are subject to sampling errors. Refer to the Technical notes for further information.

Figures in this release have been rounded. All percentages in this release have been calculated using unrounded figures.

Sheep

Total sheep numbers were 38.5 million at 30 June 2007 compared with 39.6 million in 2002, a 3 percent decrease.

North Island sheep numbered 18.5 million in 2007, a 5 percent decrease from the 19.5 million recorded in 2006. In the drought-affected Hawke's Bay, numbers were down 14 percent to 3.6 million. North Island sheep numbers in 2007 were at a level similar to 2002 when there were 18.4 million sheep.

South Island sheep numbers, at 19.9 million, were 6 percent lower than they were in 2002. The Canterbury and Southland regions had the greatest decreases. In Canterbury, sheep numbers were down 8 percent to 7.2 million and in Southland, they were down 5 percent to 5.7 million. As the dairy industry expanded, sheep made way for dairy cattle.

 

Total sheep numbers have fallen 45 percent over the past 25 years to 38.5 million in 2007. At the same time, lambing percentages have increased from 98 percent in 1982 to 123 percent in 2007.

Dairy

The national dairy herd increased 2 percent from 5.2 million in 2002 to 5.3 million in 2007. The North Island had 3.6 million dairy cattle, the South Island 1.6 million.

Dairy numbers in the South Island increased 24 percent from 1.3 million in 2002 to 1.6 million in 2007. The regions contributing the most to the increase were Canterbury (up 39 percent to 755,000), Otago (up 7 percent to 218,000) and Southland (up 21 percent to 433,000).

The number of dairy cows and heifers in milk or calf at 30 June in the South Island increased from 1.0 million in 2002 to 1.3 million in 2007, an increase of 31 percent. North Island numbers, at 2.9 million, are only 22,000 above those recorded in 2002.

The proportion of the herd recorded as in milk or calf has risen from 74 percent in 2002 to 79 percent in 2007. The North Island had the highest proportion at 80 percent, compared with 78 percent in the South Island. The difference between the North Island and the South Island reflects the higher proportion of replacement and carry-over cows being carried on South Island farms as the dairy industry increases at a faster rate than in the North Island.

Beef

Total beef cattle numbered 4.4 million at 30 June 2007 compared with 4.5 million in 2002, a 2 percent decrease.

Beef farming is based predominantly in the North Island, which had 3.1 million beef cattle in 2007, 6 percent fewer than in 2002 when there were 3.3 million. The regions with the most beef cattle are Manawatu-Wanganui with 681,000 and Waikato with 677,000.

In 2002, there were 1.1 million steers, slightly more than the 1.0 million non-breeding bulls recorded. In 2007, the balance between steers and non-breeding bulls changed in favour of steers – steer numbers increased to 1.3 million while non-breeding bulls decreased to 800,000.

Deer

In 2007, there were 1.4 million deer, down 12 percent from the 2006 estimate of 1.6 million. At 30 June 2007, there were 680,000 female deer mated, 8 percent fewer than the 2006 estimate.

The deer farming industry has grown in the past quarter century from just 109,000 deer in 1981 to 1.4 million in 2007. Deer farming is now concentrated in the South Island, which accounted for almost 70 percent of total deer numbers in 2007.

Forestry

The area of exotic forest harvested during the year to 31 March 2007 was 40,800 hectares, similar to levels recorded in recent years. The regions recording the largest areas harvested were Bay of Plenty with 9,100 hectares and Waikato with 7,200.

During the year to 31 March 2007, the area of new plantings (on land not previously in forest) was 2,600 hectares, down from 4,200 hectares in the previous year. The 2007 figure is 8 percent of the 33,700 hectares recorded in the 2002 Agricultural Production Census.

In 2007, there were 33,000 hectares of exotic forest replanted, down 9 percent from the previous year.

Grain crops

Wheat

Favourable weather conditions in the main growing regions resulted in an increase in the area and tonnage of wheat harvested. From 2006 to 2007, the area harvested increased 7 percent to 40,500 hectares and the tonnage harvested increased 32 percent to 344,400 tonnes. Canterbury harvested 87 percent of the national area harvested.

Barley

Barley production also benefited from favourable weather conditions during the 2007 growing season. The area harvested increased to 51,500 hectares, 9 percent more than in 2006. The tonnage harvested increased 21 percent to 335,600 tonnes. Canterbury harvested 72 percent of the national area harvested.

Fruit

Wine grapes

The total area planted in wine grapes has continued to increase. By 2007, plantings covered 29,620 hectares, 71 percent more than the 2002 figure of 17,300 hectares and over four times the 1994 figure.

The regions with the largest areas of wine grapes were Marlborough with 17,170 hectares and Hawke's Bay with 4,930 hectares. Since 2002, there has been a 128 percent increase in Marlborough. Canterbury had a 125 percent increase, taking its plantings from 750 hectares in 2002 to 1,680 hectares in 2007. During the same period the area planted in Otago increased 56 percent from 1,050 to 1,640 hectares.

Apples

The area in apples has continued to fall – there were 9,250 hectares in 2007, down from 11,720 hectares in 2002.

The main apple growing regions were Hawke's Bay with 5,210 hectares and Tasman with 2,440 hectares.

Kiwifruit

In 2007, the canopy area of kiwifruit was 13,250 hectares, up 12 percent from 2002. The Bay of Plenty region accounted for 77 percent of the total area with 10,250 hectares.

The green variety of kiwifruit was 81 percent of kiwifruit grown in 2007, while the newer gold variety accounted for 17 percent.

Avocados

In 2007, there were 4,000 hectares planted in avocados, 29 percent more than in 2002 and almost three times the area planted in 1994. The main regions were the Bay of Plenty with 2,210 hectares and Northland with 1,330 hectares.

Vegetables

Squash

The area of squash harvested during the year to 30 June 2007 was 7,770 hectares, 19 percent higher than the 6,560 hectares harvested in the 2002 year. The main regions for growing squash were Hawke's Bay with 3,120 hectares and Gisborne with 2,770 hectares.

Onions

During the year to 30 June 2007, there were 4,590 hectares of onions harvested, down 18 percent from the 5,620 hectares harvested in the 2002 year. Auckland and Waikato were the main growing regions, between them harvesting 3,010 hectares in 2007 (65 percent of the national total).

Potatoes

The area of potatoes harvested during the year to 30 June 2007 was 10,050 hectares, down 9 percent from the 11,080 hectares harvested in the 2002 year. The main growing regions were Canterbury and the Waikato, which had 4,270 and 2,020 hectares harvested in 2007.

Changes between provisional and final results

Provisional results of the 2007 Agricultural Survey were released on 11 February and 17 March 2008.